A New Life
by Mother Esme
Summary: Esme Platt never met Dr. Cullen in 1911. Instead, she meets him while on the run as a pregnant woman in 1920. She had never considered falling for a man so quickly after her last marriage, but his love made her feel like she was given a new life.
1. The Arrival

**A/N: Hello everyone! I've been sitting on this series for a few weeks, today I brought it to life. I'm already having so much fun thinking of ideas for the series. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or settings created by Stephanie Meyer.**

**Chapter 1: The Arrival**

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The only thing she could do was look out the window and count how many lakes the train would pass by. Everything else hurt too much to think about.

As of an hour ago, Esme Evenson was now on the run and more than likely, being hunted. She's stuck in an abusive marriage for over three years, with no escape until now.

Earlier that month, she had felt sick every morning when she rose from sleep. If she didn't immediately vomit, she would feel stomach pains or nausea. Often, she would be too tired to do her daily cleaning or cooking chores. This caused her husband Charles to become irritated, thus causing him to act out his anger.

It wasn't long until Esme had put all the pieces together. Morning sickness, fatigue, she suddenly felt more emotional than in the past… she was carrying a child. She was overjoyed to be carrying her own child in her stomach, but the overwhelming emotion she felt was fear. Fear that now she was pregnant with her abusive husband's baby, the innocent child would end up just like his or her's father. Or worse, would also feel the wrath of Charles.

She knew she had to do something. The choice was clear, but the young woman would be lying if she said she wasn't terrified. She knew that the best choice, for both her and her child's wellbeing, was to leave Charles immediately. This likely meant that she could never come back home. She could likely never even come back to Columbus, her home.

For the next couple weeks, Esme stored any loose change she found lying around the house in a small jar that she hid under their bed. She could only collect a little less than $50, not enough to support her plans. She had written to her cousin in Ashland, Wisconsin about the situation she found herself in. She explained that she was in a loveless marriage to a man that abused her daily and the safety of their unborn children was now at risk. Her cousin had agreed in writing to support her, including giving her the extra money necessary to travel to Ashland. Esme planned to live out the rest of her pregnancy there and pose as a war widow.

When Charles had left for work on Monday morning, Esme had to move quickly. Instead of doing her household chores, she took the only suitcase she had and stored it with enough clothing for a couple days. Packing lightly was essential. If she carried too much, she may look suspicious. With her suitcase and money in hand, she made her way to the local train station, avoiding eye contact where at all possible. She kept her eyes on the cobblestone beneath her feet, counting the minutes before her train arrived. Finally, she was boarding a train from Columbus to Ashland.

That was where Esme Evenson had found herself. She had her hand on her abdomen, glancing between her hand and the window she sat next to. She cursed herself for not bringing a book to read or a piece of paper to sketch on while she waited to land at her destination. All she had left to do was stare out at the many lakes before her or worse, be alone with her thoughts.

Her thoughts were a mixture of fear, joy, anger, and loneliness.

She was afraid of the unknown. She had only traveled out of the state of Ohio once in her lifetime. Her family had grown up as lower class farmers. They could barely afford food, let alone train tickets to travel out of state. Even then, she was around others. She never traveled alone. To travel alone as a pregnant married woman was a frightful thing.

She was happy because she could now start her life practically over. If her plan succeeds in every aspect, she would live in bliss with her newborn child, free from any terror of abuse looming over her shoulders. While she would live in hiding and pray that no one would find out her true identity, all she needed to be happy was her child. As long as her child was healthy and safe, she couldn't see a reason to complain about her living situation.

But despite her feelings of peace, she couldn't help but feel a bubble of anger rising inside her chest. She had to change her and her child's entire life course just because of one man's actions. Most of all, she was angry at herself. Why did she have to marry an abusive man when she had her pick of eligible bachelors? She couldn't have known the future a couple years ago, but that didn't stop her frustration.

To top off all those emotions, a feeling of loneliness crept in. She would go to a town where she only knew two people: her cousin and her cousin's husband. She was leaving behind her parents, her friends, and the comfortable life that she knew. Esme Evenson considered herself a very extroverted individual. She thrived in the presence of others, even if she had no connects towards them. Going to a city where she knows practically no one frightened her.

All those feelings had melted away when her eyes traveled to her hand on her stomach. She rubbed the flat area softly, as if she was afraid to bring her baby's temporary home any harm. A small smile appeared on the young woman's face when she thought of their future together. She preferred to think of the best-case scenario. She thought of all the maternity clothing she would have to buy or sew herself, maybe finding a small cottage outside of the city for her and her child to live.

She even dared herself to think of the possibility of finding a new love, one that wouldn't dream of hurting her.

It wasn't too long before the train had finally finished its journey. As she felt the tracks halt, she stood and moved to grab her suitcase from the top bunker. She attempted to be quick when exiting off the train; The last thing she needed was for someone to recognize her from the crowd. Thankfully, she could make it pass security with no questions asked.

She made her way out of the train station, forcing herself to keep her eyes forward instead of down below. Just maybe, Esme could find some confidence boost in this town. Maybe her new sense of security could spread to other areas of her life. The first thing she did was take a gasp of relief and took in the surrounding scents. Because of the train, the station almost always smelled of smoke. To her, this was an inviting scent.

She eventually walked through the maze of people until she was outside once again. The air smelled cleaned now. It almost reminded her of home. Similar to her hometown of Columbus, Ashland reminded her of the nostalgic memory of running in a farm, without a care in the world. The surrounding area was practically vacant, excluding her fellow train passengers. All she could see up ahead was a black, rundown road split by a yellow solid line that seemed to go for miles. Tall, dark green grass surrounded the road on either side. She could see mud pools starting to form along where the grass and road met. It must have rained overnight. Now that it was on her mind, her favorite smell had overwhelmed her: the scent of newly fallen rain on grass.

She could see two figures making their way towards the train station. It wasn't until they were both closer that she could see it was her cousin and her cousin's husband. With an excited yelp, she got a firm hold of her suitcase and practically ran as best as she could. She embraced the two in a tight hug, thanking them endlessly for welcoming their home to her.

"Now, Esme. There is no need to thank us. You're family, our home is your home." Her cousin named Elizabeth replied. The woman was in her late twenties, with her husband James in his early thirties. Elizabeth looked similar to Esme in the fact that they were both lightly tan and had curly hair, with the exception that Elizabeth had blonder hair.

James nodded in agreement with his wife and offered to take Esme's suitcase to their vehicle, which they would take back to their home and help Esme settle in. As the pregnant woman walked with the two, she said a silent goodbye to the life she had previously known. Yet, welcomed the new one with open arms.


	2. The Opportunity

**A/N: Ah, sorry for not updating for months! I began to write this chapter right after the first, but life became busy. I did not forget about this story, however! I plan to update this story MUCH more often from now on.**

**Chapter 2: The Opportunity**

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Esme yet again looked outside the window at the scene presented before her. This time, however, she felt more at ease. Contrary to her travels on the train, she was around those who had the best intentions in mind. She didn't have to hide away, her cousins already knew the basics of what happened to her.

Yet she knew that, eventually, they would start asking deeper questions. She wasn't sure if she was comfortable telling every detail of the past 26 years of her life yet. She needs time to settle into her new home and get back on her own feet.

Elizabeth and James Smith's home wasn't far from the train station. It was a large house fit for an extended family, Esme wouldn't have any difficulty finding a room to stay in. The house had been made of reddish-brown bricks and was complete with a wrap-around porch. The youthful woman could imagine her future child running around the open yard. She could imagine their laughter. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she made her way into the home.

Despite the darker exterior of the house, inside it was bright. It had a semi-open floor plan; When she walked in, she saw a stairwell leading her to the second floor and the entrance to the lounge and dining room. For all of what Esme could see, a cool brown wood flooring and white wood panels covered the entire floor. Some items inside the home were antique, but Esme didn't mind one bit. It gave their house more character. They left her to wonder who owned the old tea kettle on the dining room table or the gently used coffee tables. She would have time later to take the grand tour. For now, her cousins were eager to show her the room they had prepared.

The trio made their way to the second floor and to the first door on the left, where Esme's bedroom would be. Her breath had practically been blown away. It was slightly smaller than her and Charles's previous bedroom, but for that she loved it. It was just enough space for her and her newborn child.

"I'm sorry for such a compact room. There are plenty of other rooms to choose from if you feel you need a bigger one." James mumbled as he carried Esme's luggage into the room, placing it down on the floor beside her bed.

Esme was quick to shake her head, causing her caramel curls to sway slightly.

"No, this is perfect, really. Thank you both." She offered a smile to the couple before they spoke again.

"Once you finish unpacking and are all settled, please let us know. We have one more surprise for you." Elizabeth said with a small, playful grin before excusing her and her husband downstairs, giving Esme the time to be alone for the first time in a few hours.

There was so much to process, she did not know where to begin. In just one morning, she had escaped Charles's wrath after years of torment and began a fresh life with those who appreciate her and her child. She had hope that, if the rest of her journey went this smoothly, the rest of her life would follow. She didn't come all this way for everything to shatter before her.

She shook the slightly negative thoughts from her head and propped her suitcase on her full-sized bed, opening it. As she took out her clothes and folded them neatly into her dresser, she discovered one photograph she had packed into the suitcase before her rushed departure. It was a photo of a teenaged Esme Platt, who was sitting high on top of an apple tree on her parent's farm. A slight giggle escaped the present-day Esme as she looked at the photograph. She remembered her younger sister finding her up in that tree and taking a quick photo before their mother scolded them both for playing with a camera and climbing trees instead of helping with household chores. She turned the photo around and saw the phrase 'Esme Platt, 1911, Columbus' written. She would be sure to keep the photo as a memory that there was life before Charles.

Esme made her way down the stairs and to a quite sizable family room, where Elizabeth and James had sat talking. When they both heard the sounds of Esme's footsteps across the hardwood flooring, James stood from his chair and smiled warmly at her.

"As my wife mentioned, we have one more surprise for you." He paused to reach inside of his pocket, handing Esme a white-colored envelope.

She felt her face becoming hot and red almost immediately. "Oh, you really don't have-" Her cousin, who urged her to open the envelope, silenced her.

She followed the instructions and tore upon the seal, reading the letter was inside.

_Dear Ms. Esme Smith,_

_We are pleased to inform you that we would be delighted to offer you an interview slot for the position of a Teacher on Monday, July 17, 1921._

_We have received your application and were impressed by your passion for the art of teaching. We hope to meet you face-to-face soon and discuss the details of the opening position in question._

_Sincerely,_

_Ashland School District_

Esme looked up from the paper, her mouth open slightly. It had always been her dream to teach children, from the time she was a child herself. She wanted to move out West and achieve those dreams, but her father had always insisted the only place for her was in Columbus. She had never realized that until now; she had the opportunity to do just that.

Without even saying a word, she hugged both Elizabeth and James tightly. They had already done so much by opening their home to her, but this was beyond what she even hoped.

"There is a catch, however," Elizabeth muttered. "Although, I doubt it would be much of a problem. The school is obviously not aware that you are on the run. When I submitted your application, I discussed it with the principal. I told him you were a war widow, looking to forget the past. I also could not tell them your real surname, I had to use my own and tell them that you were Jame's sister. You must ensure that they never know the truth. The staff is friendly, but you have to be careful."

Esme nodded. It wasn't a problem; she was hesitant to tell anyone about her marriage with Charles, anyway.

"They know about your pregnancy, however," James added. "They request that before your interview tomorrow, you visit a doctor and have your pregnancy confirmed. It is just a formality, really. We have arranged a doctor's appointment with a wonderful physician in the neighborhood tonight after dinner."

She never expected to go to a physician already, but she supposed it was only the proper thing to do. She needed to ensure that her baby would be healthy through the many months ahead. She just assumed she would not have enough money to do so and would rely on prayers.

After a wonderful home-cooked meal prepared by Elizabeth, she had been practically rushed out the door excitedly by her cousin. James had driven her just a few minutes away to a physician's office in the town center. She felt a sense of peace as she made her way up the stairs to the front entrance. Maybe it was rather foolish, but she had a sense that this visit could only bring positivity.

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**A/N: Thank you for reading, and for all the faves, follows, and reviews so far! I promise Carlisle will be introduced in the next chapter. :)**


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